The Mills & Boon Christmas Wishes Collection. Maisey Yates
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but although her smile was stiff it was still a smile, and she wasn’t so folded in on herself. She’d made an effort to dress up, and wore a slick of lip gloss and some blusher. I debated whether to mention how pretty she looked, or if noting it would make her feel self-conscious. In the end, I just gave her hand a squeeze, and hoped she could read it in my face how happy I was she was here.
“Merry Christmas!” Aunt Bessie said, kissing Mom’s cheek, and giving her the once-over. “Don’t you look nice, Annabelle! That color suits you.” She motioned to Mom’s teal-colored shirt.
Mom tucked a tendril of hair back and smiled her thanks.
“Help me get these vegetables chopped, would you? I didn’t dare ask Clio in case she lopped a finger off or some other disaster. She’s quite hopeless in the culinary arts.”
“Hey!” I protested half-heartedly, knowing Aunt Bessie knew how to put Mom at ease without it being obvious. Mom took an apron from the hook and put it over her head, her demeanor changing now she had a job to do.
“Mom, this is Kai, Kai my mom, Annabelle.”
Kai gave her a wide smile, and shook her hand. “Pleased to meet you, Mrs Winters.”
With a tentative smile, she said, “Likewise, Kai. I’ve heard a lot about you, and it’s all good.”
He laughed. “That’s a relief.” Mom’s charming side surprised me; it boded well for the day. Maybe she’d always wanted to be around people but just didn’t know how to after hiding away for so long.
Mom and Aunt Bessie pottered around the kitchen, continuing to prep for lunch. They refused our offers of further help, and ushered us into the living room. “Go watch a Christmas movie, relax, unwind, you’re my guests,” admonished Aunt Bessie as she handed us two fruit mince donuts – to keep us going!
In Aunt Bessie’s living room we went through her alphabetized Christmas movie selection and decided on Love Actually and I pressed play, before sitting next to Kai on the lumpy red sofa. We sort of fell into each other as the cushion sagged beneath us, and we brushed hands as we tried to scramble back into a sitting position. I sent a thank you to the universe that Aunt Bessie hoarded her old things and refused to update her furniture.
When Hugh Grant’s character danced around in 10 Downing Street, we laughed when he was busted by a steely-faced aide. It had to be a sign – a man who liked a rom-com had to be of the finest order, right? Emma Thompson’s Joni Mitchell scene played, and I felt her sadness as surely as if it was my own. Surreptitiously I wiped a stray tear, but Kai caught me.
“He’s a bit of a bastard for doing that.”
I bit down on my lip, and let out a half-sob, half-laugh. “I love her, and even though it’s fictional I still can’t quite help thinking it’s real and he’s such a fool for hurting her. And for what? A passing flirtation with scarlet lips. It’s just the worst!”
“I totally agree.” He leaned over and I caught my breath as he wiped a lone tear from my cheek. “It’s like he can’t see what’s right in front of him, and he is utterly stupid for that.” He gazed at me so fervently, I thought for a second he meant me.
The air in the room hummed around us as my mind raced. Was there hidden meaning, or was I just hoping so? I’d never wanted to kiss anyone as much as I did at that moment. The man enjoyed Love Actually, for God’s sake! Didn’t that make him great? Forget heartbreak, forget about the future, all I cared about was this minute right here, so I closed my eyes and kissed him, all at once dizzy with the touch of his lips against mine. He brushed his fingertips against my cheek, and kissed me back softly. And I thought if I never felt like that again, life would be so dull. So empty.
With my heart racing, I pulled away slightly, hoping he wouldn’t see the quake in my hands. If I ever got naked with him, I was sure I’d pass out with the wooziness of it all. Wouldn’t that be the most embarrassing thing? Stop picturing him naked, Clio! It wasn’t like I was a prude, or hadn’t had relationships before, but with Kai, even the simplest of touches felt charged, like Cupid was making sure I knew this guy was the one. And suddenly I decided to throw caution to the wind. One week with Kai was better than none, and maybe the memory of his kisses would last a lifetime…
“Clio…” he said softly and pulled me in for another kiss.
The crunch of tires had us leaping apart. Cruz and Amory had arrived, and that put paid to any more private time.
“I… ah… I really love that movie, thanks for watching it with me.” Lame, can anyone say lame!
He laughed as I scrambled out of the sofa. “Any time, Clio.”
For someone who spent their whole life around love I was completely useless at it myself. Kai probably thought I was unhinged, or something.
I raced over to open the door for Cruz and Amory, who were stomping snow from their boots.
“Come in,” I said, a little breathless still but trying to disguise it with festive cheer. Amory narrowed her eyes as if she knew something was up. I let out a slightly manic laugh and smoothed my hair down.
Suddenly Cruz clicked his fingers and tutted. “Dang it, I left the wine at the lodge. I’ll be right back,” he said as he turned to go straight back out into the snow.
“We have a ton of wine, don’t worry,” I called, but he was already at the car holding the keys up.
“I won’t be long, promise.”
“Drive safe on those roads,” Amory called, but he’d already closed the door and was starting to reverse out of the drive.
Amory turned her laser beam on me and smiled. “Why are you so flushed?”
I pulled her inside and out of the cold. “Oh, you know, sitting by the fire and all that!” She didn’t believe me, I could tell by the textbook squint of hers.
To distract her, I steered her toward the kitchen and asked, “Why does Cruz want more wine? We seriously have loads here.” It was a good thirty-minute round trip back to the lodge, and seemed like a lot of effort, especially when the roads were on the hazardous side.
She shrugged and unwound her scarf. “It’s probably some fancy wine that pairs with a certain type of dish. Don’t know why he keeps bothering with all that. I’ll just guzzle it anyway.”
I laughed, knowing it was true. Amory gave not one jot about the quality – even after taking wine-appreciation courses as part of our job. Whether she was hosting glamorous parties with fridges full of expensive champagne, or intimate gatherings with full-bodied reds that had been cellared for decades, she’d drink them down just the same as a bottle from the bargain bin and exclaim ‘not bad’.
Amory swept into the kitchen, greeting Mom as if she’d known her for ever, giving her a tight squeeze, which had Mom’s eyes widening, and said a cheery hello to Aunt Bessie, who squished her in return.
“That is a work of art, Aunt Bessie,” Amory exclaimed over the donut-tower Christmas tree. “Seriously, you have to start sharing these with the city crowd, they would love it!”
I laughed as Aunt Bessie donned her specs and snapped pictures of the edible diamond decorations, all the while filling Amory in on her newfound love for Instagram. “And you see, my friend…” She made the @sign with her fingertip. “… @Donuts4Life asked me for a close-up of the edible decorations on the tree. She’s thinking of placing an order for her daughter’s birthday. A candyfloss donut tower. Pink frosted donuts, pink candyfloss, and pink edible diamonds. Wouldn’t that be every ten-year-old’s dream?”
I sat there with my jaw hanging open. She’d embraced Instagram that quickly? I’d only just taught her what a hashtag was and here she was with followers and everything already! Calling them her friends? She seriously could charm anyone, this woman, and I loved her for it
“This all happened in the two hours you’ve been